1. I. THE LAST JUDGMENT HAS BEEN COMPLETED

My earlier work on THE LAST JUDGMENT dealt with the following subjects:

The day of the Last Judgment does not mean the destruction of the world (The Last Judgment 1-5).

The reproduction of the human race will never cease (6-13).

Heaven and Hell are from the human race (14-22).

All people who have ever been born since the beginning of creation and have died are in heaven or in hell (23-27).

The Last Judgment is to be where all are together, and so in the spiritual world, not on earth (28-32).

The Last Judgment takes place when a church comes to an end; and this happens when there is no faith because there is no charity (33-39).

All the predictions made in the Book of Revelation are today fulfilled (40-44).

The Last Judgment has taken place (45-52).

On Babylon and its destruction (53-64);

on the former heaven and its abolition (65-72);

on the future state of the world and the church (73-74).

40. VII. ALL THE PREDICTIONS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION ARE TO-DAY FULFILLED.

No one can know what is meant by and involved in the book of Revelation without knowing the internal or spiritual sense of the Word. The whole of its contents is written in a style similar to that of the prophetic books of the Old Testament, in which every expression has a spiritual meaning not to be seen in the literal sense. Moreover, the contents of Revelation can only be explained in their spiritual sense by those who know what happened to the church up to its end; and only in heaven can this be known. This is the subject of Revelation, for the spiritual sense of the Word everywhere deals with the spiritual world, that is, the state of the church both in the heavens and upon earth. That is why the Word is spiritual and Divine. The state of the church is there expounded in due sequence. This can serve to establish that the contents of Revelation could not be explained except by someone who had received a revelation of the successive states of the church in the heavens. There is equally a church in the heavens as on earth, and some remarks on it will follow.

4809. When the Son of Man comes in His glory means when Divine Truth will be visible in its own light, as happens to everyone when he dies; for at that time he comes into the light of heaven, in which light he is able to perceive what is true and good, and from this the nature of it. 'The Son of Man' in the internal sense of the Word is the Lord as regards Divine Truth, and so it is Divine Truth which comes from the Lord; 'glory' is intelligence and wisdom that flow from this, which is seen as light, and by angels as brilliant light. This brilliant light that holds within it wisdom and intelligence flowing from Divine Truth that comes from the Lord is that which in the Word is called 'the glory'. As regards 'the Son of Man' in the internal sense meaning Divine Truth, see 2159, 2803, 2813, 3704.

[2] And an the holy angels with Him means the angelic heaven. 'The holy angels' in the internal sense are truths which come from the Lord's Divine Good, for in the Word the expression 'angels' is not used to mean angels but things that are from the Lord, see 1925, 4085. Angels are recipients of the life of truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Good; and in the measure they receive it they are angels. From this it is evident that 'angels' means those truths. Because the subject here is the state of each person after death, and the judgement of each one according to what his life is, it is said that all the holy angels will be with Him, meaning that the judgement will be effected through heaven; for every influx of Divine Truth takes places through heaven. No one can receive a direct influx.

[3] Then He will sit on the throne of His glory means the judgement, for 'throne' is used to refer to the Lord's kingship, and the Lord's kingship is Divine Truth, 1728, 2015, 3009, 3670, Divine Truth being the starting-point and the standard of that judgement.

[4] And before Him all nations will be gathered means that every good and every evil of everyone will be disclosed - for 'nations' in the internal sense of the Word means forms of good, and in the contrary sense forms of evil, 1259, 1260, 1416, 2588 (end), 4574. Thus it is the showing up in Divine light - that is, in light flowing from Divine Truth - of every good and every evil that is meant by 'before Him all nations will be gathered'.

[5] And He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats means the separation of good from evil, for 'the sheep' are those in whom good is present, and 'the goats' those in whom evil is present. Strictly speaking the expression 'the sheep' is used to describe those in whom charity, and faith derived from charity, are present, 'the goats' to describe those in whom faith but no charity is present. Both these types of people are referred to here. As regards 'the sheep' meaning those in whom charity and faith derived from it are present, see 2088, 4169, and 'the goats' those in whom faith but no charity is present, 4769.

[6] And He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at the left means a separation into truths derived from good, and falsities derived from evil. Those governed by truths derived from good are also visibly present in the next life on the right, while those governed by falsities are on the left. Consequently being stationed on the right hand and on the left implies an ordering in which life is the determining factor.